Universal's own holidays page would not load for us, twice, so everything below is attributed to the outlets that covered the announcement. Nothing here is presented as confirmed by Universal directly.
Universal Orlando's holiday season runs 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 across Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure and Epic Universe, according to Attractions Magazine and other outlets covering the announcement, which also report Universal added six days to the season compared with last year.
The headline is Epic Universe. The park opened in 2025 and this is the first season where the holidays properly arrive in it.
Snoggletog, and a park that didn't have Christmas before
The new item is Snoggletog in How to Train Your Dragon — Isle of Berk, reported as its inaugural year. In the films Snoggletog is the Viking midwinter festival, which is a better fit for a land built around dragons and longhouses than bolting a Santa onto it.
Holiday décor is also reported for Super Nintendo World and Celestial Park, both for the first time.
That matters more than a decoration list usually would. Epic Universe spent its first year without a holiday layer at all, which left it the one Orlando park with nothing seasonal to come back for in December.
The things that were already good
Grinchmas returns to Seuss Landing at Islands of Adventure, with the live Grinchmas Who-liday Spectacular and the Grinch himself.
Universal's Holiday Parade featuring Macy's returns at Universal Studios Florida, with the balloons that actually come from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade.
Christmas in the Wizarding World returns across both Hogsmeade and Diagon Alley, including the projection show on Hogwarts Castle.
Specific show and parade times were not in the reporting we could verify, and some guides are reusing last season's schedules. Check Universal's own site before you build a day around a showtime.
What costs extra
The celebration itself is included with park admission.
The exception is the Universal Holiday Tour, a guided daytime tour reported to run on select dates from 14 November 2026 to 2 January 2027, starting at $69.99 per person plus tax.
How it lines up against Disney
Worth knowing if you are splitting a trip. Universal's season opens 14 November, one day after Walt Disney World's and Disneyland's 13 November. Universal's ends 3 January; Disney's runs to 6 January.
So the overlap is nearly total, and the first half of November is the only part of the month where neither resort is in full holiday mode — with the exception of Disney's two ticketed parties, which start on the 7th and 8th.